World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway inexorably increased his lead at the top of the November world rankings. At 2848 he is now only three points below the record set by Garry Kasparov at his peak in 1999.
Carlsen achieved his latest gains by winning the 5th Final Masters tournament in Sao Paolo and Bilbao in October. At the end of the first half in Brazil he trailed Italian number one Fabiano Caruana, having lost their individual match pressing for a win in the first round. However, the second half in Spain saw Carlsen gain his revenge on Caruana and equal his final score of four wins, a loss and six draws to head the six-player double roundrobin. Carlsen then won the blitz playoff 2-0 to win the event.
Today's game is Carlsen's victory over the reigning World Champion, Vishwanthan Anand of India from the ninth round. Carlsen is playing with the white pieces and makes it look easy.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ ---
The Moscow Variation against Najdorf Sicilian sees White exchanging his light-squared bishop before planting his pawns on light squares in the attempt to achieve a bind. 3.--- Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 Nf6 6.Nc3 g6 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.f3 Qc7
Repositioning the queen with a tempo by attacking the c-pawn before playing ...Nc6, and taking the game off well-trodden paths. 10.b3 Qa5 11.Bb2 Nc6 12.0-0 0-0 13.Nce2 ---
A previous game saw 13 Kh1. 13.--- Rfd8 14.Bc3 Qb6 15.Kh1 d5!?
Taking the chance to break out of the bind, as 16 cxd5? Nxd5! 17 exd5 Rxd5 results in White losing either a pawn or his queen for inadequate material after 18 Nxc6 Rxd1 19 Nxe7+ Kh8 20 Raxd1 Qe3. However, White is not obliged to take on d5 and now has the thrust e4-e5 available. 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qe1 Rdc8?!
White threatened 18 Ba5 winning an exchange, but here 17... a5 was better allowing the rook to stay on the d-file. 18.e5 Ne8 19.e6! fxe6 20.Nf4 Bxc3
An unfortunate necessity to gain time to defend e6. If the rook was still on d8 then 20...c5! would be possible as d5 is adequately defended. 21.Qxc3 d4 22.Qd2 c5 23.Rae1 Ng7 24.g4! ---
Although a protected passed-pawn down, White's attack will force the black pieces into passivity. He proceeds to carry out a Karpov-like strangulation of his opponent: First, he clamly denies the black knight mobility. 24.--- Rc6 25.Nh3! ---
Next, a simple reshuffle of the pieces to threaten the king. 25.--- Ne8 26.Qh6 Nf6 27.Ng5 d3 28.Re5! Kh8
White threatened 29 Nxh7! Nxh7 30 Qxg6+ and if 30...Kh8? 31 Rh5 mates. 29.Rd1 Qa6 30.a4 Resigns
This seems premature, but Black has had all potential counterplay systematically shut down. To meet the threat of h2-h4-h5 he must hustle his queen to the kingside by 30...Qc8 31 Rxd3 Qg8, after which he is completely tied up and White will soon pick off his weak pawns. For instance 32 Rde3 Rd8 33 Nxe6 Rd1+ 34 Kg2 Rd2+ 35 Kg3 Nd7 36 Qg5! Rc8 37 Rd5 Rxd5 38 Qxd5 Nf6 39 Qb7 winning a second pawn with more to follow. 1-0
Carlsen closes on Kasparov record
Problem: White to play and mate in 3.
World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway inexorably increased his lead at the top of the November world rankings. At 2848 he is now only three points below the record set by Garry Kasparov at his peak in 1999.
Carlsen achieved his latest gains by winning the 5th Final Masters tournament in Sao Paolo and Bilbao in October. At the end of the first half in Brazil he trailed Italian number one Fabiano Caruana, having lost their individual match pressing for a win in the first round. However, the second half in Spain saw Carlsen gain his revenge on Caruana and equal his final score of four wins, a loss and six draws to head the six-player double roundrobin. Carlsen then won the blitz playoff 2-0 to win the event.
Today's game is Carlsen's victory over the reigning World Champion, Vishwanthan Anand of India from the ninth round. Carlsen is playing with the white pieces and makes it look easy.
1.e4 c5
2.Nf3 d6
3.Bb5+ ---
The Moscow Variation against Najdorf Sicilian sees White exchanging his light-squared bishop before planting his pawns on light squares in the attempt to achieve a bind.
3.--- Bd7
4.Bxd7+ Qxd7
5.c4 Nf6
6.Nc3 g6
7.d4 cxd4
8.Nxd4 Bg7
9.f3 Qc7
Repositioning the queen with a tempo by attacking the c-pawn before playing ...Nc6, and taking the game off well-trodden paths.
10.b3 Qa5
11.Bb2 Nc6
12.0-0 0-0
13.Nce2 ---
A previous game saw 13 Kh1.
13.--- Rfd8
14.Bc3 Qb6
15.Kh1 d5!?
Taking the chance to break out of the bind, as 16 cxd5? Nxd5! 17 exd5 Rxd5 results in White losing either a pawn or his queen for inadequate material after 18 Nxc6 Rxd1 19 Nxe7+ Kh8 20 Raxd1 Qe3. However, White is not obliged to take on d5 and now has the thrust e4-e5 available.
16.Nxc6 bxc6
17.Qe1 Rdc8?!
White threatened 18 Ba5 winning an exchange, but here 17... a5 was better allowing the rook to stay on the d-file.
18.e5 Ne8
19.e6! fxe6
20.Nf4 Bxc3
An unfortunate necessity to gain time to defend e6. If the rook was still on d8 then 20...c5! would be possible as d5 is adequately defended.
21.Qxc3 d4
22.Qd2 c5
23.Rae1 Ng7
24.g4! ---
Although a protected passed-pawn down, White's attack will force the black pieces into passivity. He proceeds to carry out a Karpov-like strangulation of his opponent: First, he clamly denies the black knight mobility.
24.--- Rc6
25.Nh3! ---
Next, a simple reshuffle of the pieces to threaten the king.
25.--- Ne8
26.Qh6 Nf6
27.Ng5 d3
28.Re5! Kh8
White threatened 29 Nxh7! Nxh7 30 Qxg6+ and if 30...Kh8? 31 Rh5 mates.
29.Rd1 Qa6
30.a4 Resigns
This seems premature, but Black has had all potential counterplay systematically shut down. To meet the threat of h2-h4-h5 he must hustle his queen to the kingside by 30...Qc8 31 Rxd3 Qg8, after which he is completely tied up and White will soon pick off his weak pawns. For instance 32 Rde3 Rd8 33 Nxe6 Rd1+ 34 Kg2 Rd2+ 35 Kg3 Nd7 36 Qg5! Rc8 37 Rd5 Rxd5 38 Qxd5 Nf6 39 Qb7 winning a second pawn with more to follow.
1-0
Solution: 1 Bd5! h5 (or 1... Kh2, else 2 Rh6#) 2 Re1 and 3 Rh1#.